


Avenging Initiates

by Perky



Series: Luminous Beings [1]
Category: Marvel 616, Star Wars - All Media Types, Young Avengers
Genre: Crossover, Everyone's a Jedi or a Sith, Gen, Kid Fic, M/M, Mashup, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-27
Updated: 2013-04-05
Packaged: 2017-12-06 16:54:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,235
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/737960
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Perky/pseuds/Perky
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A series of connected vignettes, wherein Jedi Initiate Billy Kaplan and his friends grow up in the Jedi Temple. This is a mashup of Star Wars and Young Avengers. All the Marvel characters exist here, mostly as Jedi or Sith. Set about 3000 years before the Battle of Yavin. This story fits into Star Wars canon, it does not replace it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> I need to thank a lot of people for helping make this fic what it is. [annafh](http://archiveofourown.org/users/annafh) helped me plot it out. [Billywick](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Billywick/pseuds/Billywick) helped me bring it together. And last but not least, [DangerousCommieSubversive](http://archiveofourown.org/users/DangerousCommieSubversive/pseuds/DangerousCommieSubversive) helped me get this in postable condition. So thank you all very much! :)
> 
>  _If you know nothing about Star Wars and still want to read this fic, then here is a basic primer on galactic history._ (Where’s PowerPoint when I need it...) There’s the Jedi. You know them. You love them. Obi-Wan Kenobi and Luke Skywalker. They are both Jedi. Generally good people who do what’s right and protect the little guy. They use a power called the Force. Some Jedi go bad, and a few thousand years ago some bad Jedi decided to become Sith. They are like bad guys who want power for themselves. The Jedi serve the Republic and the Sith run their empire. Darth Vader was one. 
> 
> This is set a few thousand years before all the movies. So there are a lot of Jedi and Sith running around fighting. The Jedi take in infants who are ‘force sensitive’ and train them from birth to be warrior monks. Most of our heroes are Jedi. I have a few surprises in store, but the YA team is like a group of force sensitive kids who are all going to class and learning their skills together in their ‘clan.’ 
> 
> The ranks of the Jedi are Initiate, Padawan, Knight, and Master. Initiates are trained in groups, or clans then each Initiate is taken as a Padawan apprentice and then they have one-on-one instruction. Initiate is from ages 0-13, then Padawan is from about 13-20s, Then you are a knight until you take a Padawan to train.
> 
> This is not replacing SW universe, but rather fitting in in an unused area. So most of Star Wars EU has or will happen.
> 
> Anyways, I have big plans for this universe. Mostly it is a bunch of interconnected vignettes in three time frames. The first is when the Young Avengers are all younglings in the Jedi Temple. (There are several conspicuous absences, but they shall be explained, worry not.) The second time frame is while Billy et al. are Padawans. These first two sections will focus mostly Billy, Teddy and Tommy. The third section is for when everyone is knighted/almost knighted. For this section I have a vignette or two planned for pretty much each character. I am not sure what will happen after that, but I have a whole universe plotted, so it could be anything. Most of these will be posted in chronological order.

_“For most, the path of the Jedi starts early. By the time a force sensitive child in the Republic is two, they more than likely have been discovered and brought to the Jedi Temple. However, not everyone is found, and in these trying times, we do not turn away older ‘initiates.’”_ – Jedi Master Yom Frimtel.

* * *

The Creche of the Jedi Temple on Coruscant was quiet. It was always quieter then Wanda imagined a room filled with newborns and infants could ever be, but the handlers had thousands of years of traditions and experience in taking care of the newly arrived younglings.

The Creche was close enough to the Room of a Thousand Fountains that some of the serenity from the seven story tall greenhouse seeped in, but far enough away that the infants weren’t bothered by the room’s constant comings and goings. The handlers also projected calm, almost by second nature, which kept all but the most disgruntled sentients peaceful.

“Why are we here, Master?” her brother, Pietro asked Erik Lensherr.

Wanda and her brother were Jedi twins. Often times twins were very powerful force users, especially when together. The bond they shared was very strong, and because of that, it was decided they would share a single master.

“Two new force sensitives have arrived from two disparate parts of the galaxy.”

“Is that a rare occurrence?” Pietro asked impudently. Wanda smiled at her brother. He always moved quickly, especially his mouth moving faster than his brain.

“Not at all. But these two appear to be twins, even though their families are not related in any way. They were born on the same day to different parents on different sides of the galaxy.”

“Is that possible?” Wanda asked.

“Possible? Oh, yes. Probable? Not at all. The odds are one in several hundred septillion that unrelated people will share the same DNA, I believe.”

At fourteen, Wanda knew that was quite a few zeroes. “Have that many humans ever even existed, Master?”

“I have no idea Padawan. But the fact that these two are genetically twins is a mystery of the Force. And that does not even take into account the timing of their births.”

“That’s fascinating, Master. But why are we here?” Pietro asked.

Master Lensherr smiled at Pietro and said fondly, “My impatient little apprentice. I thought the only other set of twins in the Order might be interested in seeing the newest arrivals.”

Wanda looked at the silver haired infant whom her master pointed out to her, but then her eyes were drawn to the dark haired child. He looked back at her, and their eyes met. She gasped.

“What is it, Padawan?” Master Lensherr asked, concerned.

“I feel a connection with the dark haired youngling, Master. I think a bond has formed.”

“Fascinating,” her master said. “And you Pietro, do you feel anything?”

Wanda looked to her brother, who staring at the baby with silver hair, and not speaking. She put her hand on Pietro’s shoulder. He was startled but smiled. “Yes, Master. I feel a connection with the other boy as well.”

“I figured as much. The force works in mysterious ways. Never forget that.”

Both students nodded at their master’s words.

“What does this mean, Master?” Wanda asked.

“It means you should keep your eyes on these younglings. Perhaps they will be your Padawans one day.”

Wanda looked back at the fussing infants, and thought that might not be a bad thing at all.

* * *

Time passed, and Wanda put the twins mostly out of her mind. She was ever mindful of the delicate bond she had with the little boy, who she later found out was named Billy Kaplan, but life moved ever on for a Jedi.

Years passed and Billy and his brother, Tommy Shepherd were assigned to the same youngling clan along with several children they were destined to grow close to. Teddy Altman, America Chavez, Eli Bradley, and Kate Bishop were there names. Together they would grow to be proud members of the Jedi Order.

This is their story.


	2. One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The initiates go on a field trip to a museum and get more then they bargained for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some dialog and events taken from the comic book: Tales of the Jedi: The Sith War 3: The Trial of Ulic Qel-Droma.

_If you are of the Bergruutfa Clan, you are loyal. Your heart will lead you forward when the way is dark._ \-- The Jedi Path

* * *

The mighty Bergruutfa clan of the Jedi Order was a small one. All the clans were smaller these day, due to the war with the Sith. There were fewer worlds for the Jedi to recruit from.

But the world of Jedi initiates went on as it ever did. The Jedi Order had thousands of years of traditions to uphold, and a war would not stop them. Things had been much more dire for the order in the past, and yet it still survived. They were nothing if not resilient.

One tradition that the Order still lived by was the sheltering of younglings. At or about nine standard years old, none of the Bergruutfa clan had been outside the temple. No initiate under the age of eight or nine ever left. It was a simple security measure. With a war on, force sensitive children were a commodity to be bought and sold.

There was nothing wrong with staying in the temple, and it was a large enough space that it didn’t feel like a cage. But by nine, most younglings could be found looking longingly out the many windows of the Temple at the cityscape of Coruscant.

That was why there was a field trip planned, to the Museum of the Republic, which was near the Jedi Temple, and one of the premier museums in the galaxy. The topics it covered were almost as diverse as the types of species in the republic itself. From geology to history to aviation, the Museum covered everything.

The day before the big trip found three Jedi younglings sitting in a quieter corner of the Room of A Thousand Fountains. They wore the traditional uniforms of Jedi--tan tunics, boots, and belts. All of their uniforms were in good condition (masters checked!) but one of the boy’s boots were scuffed up more than the other two.

“It’s going to be wizard!” Tommy exclaimed.

“I never thought you’d be so excited to go to a museum, Tommy,” Billy said. Teddy laughed.

“Shut up, Billy. I just wanna get out of the temple. Don’t you?”

“Yeah, I guess so.”

“They’re supposed to have an exhibit on the history of the Sith. That would be more interesting than the biology stuff the masters want to show us,” Tommy said.

“I don’t think we’re supposed to go to that one, Tommy,” Teddy said.

“Why would the masters want to hold us back from learning?” Tommy asked innocently.

Teddy didn’t know how to respond to that. Billy wrapped an arm around the blond and said, “As if we’ll be able to get there anyways, Tommy. They’re just gonna let us run free. That sounds like the Order.”

“We’ll see,” Tommy said with a smirk.

* * *

Master Parker was in charge of Bergruutfa clan. He was a very talented Jedi, and had spent most of his time since his knighting as a teacher. Tommy tried, and occasionally succeeded in getting things past him, but he had to work at it.

All the initiates around their age were standing in the hangar, waiting for instructions to load the air bus.

All the groups seemed to be standing in their clans naturally, Even though the two halves of Bergruutfa clan weren’t very close, they were still standing by each other talking.

“I’m so excited!” Eli said. “This should be really interesting. I can’t wait to see more of the city too.”

“It’s the biology exhibit though. Why couldn’t we do something like a fighting museum or something?” America asked.

“I’m with you, America.”

She glared at him. “I told you to call me Miss America, Shepherd.”

“But that’s silly. Why should I?”

“Because I can make you is a good reason,” she said, cracking her knuckles in her hand.

“How many times do I have to say sorry? I didn’t mean to spill it on you. I was aiming for Master Parker!”

“And that makes it better,” Kate chimed in.

Tommy was something of a prankster, and the other morning, he had been trying to play a little trick on Master Parker. The master had been sitting down eating breakfast, speaking to a passing Wookiee Jedi who had been carrying a large bowl of porridge.

Having just learned the particulars of fine control telekinesis, Tommy tried to tip the bowl so it would cover Master Parker in the Wookiee’s breakfast. America had the bad timing to walk between the two Jedi just as Tommy had tipped the porridge.

America knew immediately it was not the Wookiee’s fault, and looked directly over to Tommy.

She always knew.

She was a little scary like that. Since that day, she had been rather cold to Billy and Tommy’s side of the clan.

It didn’t help matters that Tommy couldn’t stop laughing while America glared at him, but Billy and Teddy were scared enough for the three of them.

America could be quite intimidating for a nine year old. So, now they were supposed to call her Miss America.

Tommy was about to respond again, probably to defend himself but he was interrupted by Master Richards. He was one of the Order's leading scientific minds, along with Masters Pym and Stark. He was also in charge of the field trip as a whole. "Alright younglings, please proceed onto the airbus in an orderly manner, so we may be on our way.”

The young Jedi were nothing if not orderly and they moved onto the bus. Billy sat between Teddy and Tommy for the ride. The trouble with the bus ride was that everyone wanted a window seat, so they could all see more. Sure, Coruscant was a giant city, and a lot of it looked the same, but when you’d been seeing the same few blocks of it for your entire life, anything new was appreciated.

Tommy was planted in the window seat holding Billy back, while Teddy tried to look over them to see out. The city went by so quickly, tall metallic spires, gleaming in the morning sun. All of them were slightly different, built upon the hundreds of layers below. Some were curved and some were squared, and there was also a lot of construction, because Coruscant was always about building up. The tallest building on the planet was only ever tallest for a few weeks. After that, another building was completed and was crowned the tallest.

The area around the Jedi temple was the exception. Buildings there never really changed. They didn’t grow taller, namely out of respect for the temple. There was nothing really stopping the developers, but the locals all enjoyed the older buildings and the site of the Jedi Temple’s five spires towering over them.

The ride ended quickly enough to disappoint most of the younglings and they approached a giant dome of a building that was Museum of the Republic. The bus slowed to a halt and Master Richards stood up and said, “You now step out of the temple. For many of you it is the first time doing so since you entered as infants. Stepping outside those walls, you are a symbol of hope to the citizens of the Republic. A symbol of the future.

“Most citizens can recognize you easily as Jedi. People may approach you looking for wisdom or to fight their enemies. Others still could attack you.” He smiled at the younglings. “I doubt anyone will be doing much attacking today, but remember, you are Jedi. Your uniform defines you. Wear it well and wear it with pride. Remember that your actions reflect on our entire order.”

Tommy mumbled, “In other words, no pressure.”

Billy snorted at Tommy, but Teddy looked serious. They got out of the bus and lined up by their clans. Master Parker came over to them and smiled. “Ready to go, younglings?” They all nodded, and Master Parker smiled. “Let’s stay together, okay?”

The smirk on Tommy’s face was ominous. It was the patented “I have a plan to get Billy and Teddy into a lot of trouble” face. The two boys in question glanced at each other and knew they were on the same page.

The museum was crowded that day. There must have been several other school trips and all the young Jedi were busy looking at the amazing variety of different sentients. Jedi, by their nature, had seen a wide range of different species, but that was nothing compared to the steps of the Museum of the Republic.

As they climbed to the entrance, they were sure to have seen a Herglic, some Verpine, a few Trandoshans and a H'nemthe. There were also dozens of others that were not recognizable.

They arrived in the Museum and were herded off towards the biology wing. There was sure to be a lot of interesting things in there. Or so they thought.

Two hours later, many of the initiates were bored. Most of the exhibits in this section of the museum were pretty dull. The bioluminescence showing was mildly interesting and pretty to look at, but it was only in relation to some flora in Muunilinst's oceans. Tommy came over to him to Billy with Teddy in tow.

“Wait for it, and we can get to someplace more interesting,” Tommy said.

“What did you do?” Billy asked.

Tommy pointed over to Eli, who walked over to Master Parker and whispered something to him. Master Parker looked around and put his hand on Eli’s shoulder and walked him out of the room.

“What did you do to Eli?” Teddy asked.

“He owed me a favor and I just called it in. Nothing serious. Just enough to distract Master Parker for a few minutes so we can escape.

And escape they did. Once their instructor was out of the way, they had no trouble walking out the exhibit door toward the main concourse. From there, they looked at the signs pointing to different exhibits.

“Oh, that astronomy one looks nice,” Teddy said.

Tommy laughed. “We’re not going to do more science. Let’s go there,” He said. He pointed to a dark and foreboding looking room, with the words ‘History of the Sith Empires’ over the door.

Billy and Teddy were reluctant. “Are you sure?” Billy asked. “We might get in serious trouble for going in there.”

“We’ll be fine. Don’t worry about it,” Tommy said dragging Billy by the hand, who in turn dragged Teddy by his.

They entered the exhibit with no problems. There was no one there to stop them, but there was a sign that read, _Warning: some of the material presented herein might be unsuitable for sentients under 13 standard years of age._

Teddy was the only one who saw it.

As they walked in, a pre-recorded voice sounded into the hallway. It said, “To understand the current conflict with the Sith Empire, one must first understand rich and complex history the Republic has with the long line of sentients calling themselves ‘Sith.’” As the voice said this, images of ships exploding and lightsabers clashing were projected on hallway walls.

“What is a Sith? Originally it was the native of the long dead planet Korriban, where exiled Jedi set themselves up as gods.” Several images of red skinned beings with bone spurs protruding from under their skin of their face on their chins.

“This is all we know of the early history. For many years, the Sith lived in galactic anonymity, until they were reintroduced to the galaxy at large during the Great Hyperspace War, approximately 2000 years ago.” Pictures of space battles and Supreme Chancellor Pultimo and the Empress Teta were projected. They continued to walk through the hallway.

“Since that time, Sith has become a title for those evil beings and empires who would take up arms against the Republic and try to wipe out our democracy. The information in this exhibit is the most comprehensive historical collection of artifacts and data on the Sith and their empires ever collected. Special thanks to the Jedi Order and Czerka Corporation for sponsoring this exhibit.” The Jedi logo and a few other appeared on the wall, and then they were in the exhibit proper.

“This is already loads more interesting than the stupid biology stuff, doesn’t it?” Tommy asked.

Tommy dragged Billy and Teddy over to a nearby holoprojector, which showed some looping footage. It was grainy and difficult to make out, the caption read, “The Last Stand of Jedi Master Vodo-Siosk Baas.”

“I wonder who that was,” Teddy asked. The holoprojector turned started to play the recording stored in its memory banks. It projected an image of inside the Senate Rotunda. It looked as if a trial was going on, when someone burst in through the doors.

"Excuse me, might I join the discussion? I've got something I'm sure you'll find interesting," a man said from the side.

"It's about time, Exar Kun!" said the person on trial.

"Didn't Master Arca teach you patience, Ulic? My Master Vodo was always trying to get me to learn," the man, apparently Exar Kun said.

The recording was garbled for a moment. Teddy said, "Maybe we shouldn't be watching this." But his eyes were glued to the holo.

When it came back but the senators and dignitaries seemed unusually quiet.

Exar Kun was standing on the platform where the Supreme Chancellor stood. He said, "I just wanted to say that you, and the Republic Senate, are irrelevant. The Jedi Knights have coddled you for too long." Exar Kun reached over to the Supreme Chancellor and his hand glowed with some kind of Sith sorcery. "You are outdated, and ineffective... Puppets to tradition... Go on, show us..."

"We are irrelevant puppets..." the chancellor stammered.

The holo was again garbled, and Teddy said again, "We really shouldn't be watching this."

When it came back through, Exar Kun said, "--ter Vodo and I have some private business." It was totally garbled for a moment, but when it cleared Exar Kun and Master Vodo were fighting. Exar Kun had a double bladed lightsaber and was viciously cutting away at the elder Jedi’s defenses. The Jedi carried what looked like a wooden staff, but it was stopping the lightsaber blade somehow.

It was brutal to watch, and and Kun talked constantly throughout, coaxing, cajoling, trying to convert the Jedi to his way of thinking. They continued to fight.

Eventually the master said, “This is not the end Exar Kun. You and I will fight again. Perhaps not for a long time, but I will defeat you.”

The Sith spat out, “Words. Go on to your higher plane teacher. The Galaxy is mine now.” With that, the Jedi’s staff exploded and he was cut down.

Billy had looked away and was hugging Teddy’s chest just before the end. Tommy and Teddy were both looking white. “We should probably go back to the other part of the museum,” Tommy said.

Teddy and Billy nodded, not listening to the end of the holo where the legacy of Master Vodo-Siosk Baas was being discussed.

They didn’t get very far when Master Parker found them. “There you are. I knew you’d be here. The only place in the museum that Master Rogers said to keep wandering younglings out of. That’s why I came here first.” He looked at them and how they were acting and softened. “Are you guys okay?”

"There was a holo, Master. A Jedi was killed."

Master Parker looked over their shoulders. "Was it Master Baas?" The three boys nodded. "That is a tough one to see. He was a great Jedi, but one thing all Jedi need to remember is that we are mortal. This is a lesson usually saved for older students, but every student learns it. We all become one with the Force someday, it is inevitable. Put this out of your minds, you’ll have no fate like that any time soon."

"Yes, Master Parker."

"Okay, we can talk more about this later, if we need too. For now let's get you back to the rest of the clan."

They walked back towards the Biology exhibit and were met by Master Richards. "Everything alright, Peter?" he asked.

"Just a few overly-curious younglings."

Master Richards smiled at the three. "Happens every year. In fact I recall, there were once initiates Parker and Stacey doing something quite similar many years ago."

The three students looked up at their teacher, who was blushing. He said, "I have no idea what you're referring to, Master Richards."

The older master smirked at the younger, and said, "You should probably find the rest of your clan before they run off too."

* * *

As they returned to the Temple, the three adventurous younglings were rather subdued.

The other members of the Bergruutfa clan thought it was due to an unsavory punishment. They did not talk about the real reason.

The next day, after the incident in the museum, Master Parker had assigned them several hours of meditation. As per usual, Billy, Tommy and Teddy found a spot to meditate together. They found a quiet place in the Room of a Thousand Fountains, near a trickling waterfall.

They knelt down and got comfortable, beginning their meditations. After a few minutes of trying they all looked up at each other and shrugged. Meditation was always difficult when the mind was cloudy.

Tommy was about to say something when someone cleared their throat.

“I couldn’t help but noticing that you three seemed to be having trouble meditating. Would you care to talk about it?” As soon as they saw who it was, Billy, Teddy and Tommy all stood and bowed.

It was Master Xavier, a member of the High Council. He was paralyzed in an accident when he was younger, and now used a repulsor chair to move around.

“We wouldn’t want to bother you, Master Xavier,” Teddy said.

The bald master smiled. “What kind of Jedi Master would I be if I didn’t have time to help a few younglings meditate? That wouldn’t be a very good example to set, now would it?”

Teddy smiled back, “I guess not, Master Xavier.”

“Please, call me Master X, it's much less of a mouthful. What seems to be the problem?”

The three boys were silent. They exchanged looks. Billy spoke up, “We saw something at the Museum we weren’t supposed to see. We snuck into the Sith exhibit and saw a holo of a Sith killing a Jedi.”

“Ah, yes I heard about you three. Master Parker was quite worried about you. It’s not an easy thing, seeing that. A Jedi Master so easily cut down. But it is a lesson we all must learn.”

“That’s what Master Parker said,” Billy replied. “But why does it have to be that way?”

“Without death there could be no life. All things become one with the Force, young one. As nothing can stop the sun from setting, nothing can change this. The path of the Jedi is to walk towards this destiny with his head held high. To face it standing tall, knowing that his life was worthwhile. This is what it means to be a Jedi. It is a difficult path, but a rewarding one. I know I couldn’t imagine anything else.”

“It’s hard...” Teddy started to say.

Master X smiled again, “Indeed. Death is hard to accept. Come, let us meditate together. Perhaps four of us will have more success than three.”

They all nodded at him and knelt around the master and cleared their minds. With Master X’s help, they were far more successful.


	3. Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “And call me Master Tony. Master Stark was my father. Well, not really. But if my father was a Jedi, they would have called him Master Stark.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the purpose of this fic, I am going to assume that the Jedi Service Corps was founded as part of the Ruusan Reformation, because would Jedi send out half trained kids to a life of service when they could be abducted by the Sith and turned into enemies? I don’t think so. Anyways, you might have no idea what I am talking about, and if not don’t worry, it is not important to the story. I just wanted to acknowledge it for those of you who might know.

_Younglings is what many will call you, including your instructors. Your youth fills us with hope; your developing skills fill us with pride. You are the future of the Order, so do not take offense when we point out your age. Take pride in your rank, for you are Jedi Initiates._ \-- Grand Master Fae Coven.

When Billy was 11, he knew his time as an initiate was coming to an end. By thirteen, most initiates were chosen to become Padawans. Occasionally, there was a bad egg who was not chosen, but in wartime, it was an almost certainty that every initiate would be elevated to Padawan after their trials.

Right now, the Bergruutfa clan was sitting through a lecture with Master Stark. It was painfully obvious that the Master, while incredibly knowledgeable, didn’t know how to teach children. At all. He had confused all of the clan when he started speaking of the thermodynamics required for a stable hyperspace jump.

They were sitting in the Jedi Archives, in one of its many nooks. All around them were the softly glowing stacks of ancient and current knowledge. The Council of First Knowledge liked occasional classes to be held in the Archives, and about once a week, different clans had them there. The council said it helped make younglings feel comfortable among such fathomless knowledge. The sheer scope of it could be overwhelming.

There was a screen behind the master, and he was writing complex equations on it while he spoke. It looked like gibberish to Billy.

Master Stark was covering for Master Parker, but when they last had engineering lessons, they had been talking about the basics of droid construction.

“Normally, baryonic matter obeys physical principles of relativity: they increase asymptotically in mass as they approach the spe--"

“Excuse me, Master Stark?” Kate said.

“Yes, youngling? Do you have a question?”

“I think I speak for everyone, when I say I have no idea what you are talking about. Our last lesson we were talking about droids.”

The Master looked around. “I see. Master Rodgers asked me to cover for Master Parker, he didn’t leave any notes, so I just started lecturing. I suppose hyperspace mechanics might be a little much for eight year olds.”

“We’re 11, Master Stark.”

“Same difference,” he said, waving his hand dismissively. “And call me Master Tony. Master Stark was my father. Well, not really. But if my father was a Jedi, they would have called him Master Stark.”

The younglings all looked at each other. They’d never met a master quite like Master Stark. He was a member of the High Council, but his head was kind of in the clouds.

The master opened his mouth as if he was about to speak, but stopped when an red alarm started flashing. “Hmmm, do you younglings practice invasion drills often?”

“Yes, Master Tony. Every few weeks,” Teddy responded.

“Oh, good. So you know what you’re supposed to do?”

They all nodded and Teddy said, “Follow the lead of the nearest master. If no master is nearby, then hide until the all clear is sounded and the Force feels calm.”

“Uh, great. I am a nearby master, I suppose. So let’s play a game. Stay behind me, while we go somewhere else, okay?”

Billy reached out with the force, and even with his limited control he could feel that something was wrong nearby. Tension was very high in the Temple, but he couldn’t make out anything specific. He looked over to Tommy and Teddy, who looked equally confused.

All the younglings gathered behind the master, and he said, “Right, let’s go this way.”

They walked as a group towards the west entrance of the Archives, but the door started opening before they got there. Before the door was even completely opened, Master Tony had his lightsaber drawn and ignited, just in time for a body to come flying through the now open door.

Billy looked over and saw it was a young Jedi, probably in his 20s. Dead.

“Kids, can you go to the other side of the Archives for me?” Master Tony said as four figures in dark robes entered the archives.

The Bergruutfa clan didn’t need to be told twice. Billy could feel the darkness rolling off the dark-robed warriors.

“Tony Stark. What a pleasant surprise to run into you here.” The speaker was a tall human with blue tinted skin. He drawled out his words so much they almost came out as a growl.

“Darth Laufey, I wish I could say the same.”

The Sith look around the room and smiled when he saw the group of younglings. He looked back at Master Tony and said, “You brought me a present. How lovely their flesh will taste as I bite it from the bones.”

At that point, Billy moved closer to Teddy and grabbed his hand. Tommy grabbed his free hand and held on tight.

He tried to do a few calming exercises but they didn’t seem to help. Having a Sith threaten to eat him was not a very good way to start the day. Especially not a Sith as powerful as Darth Laufey. He was one of the four rulers of the Sith Empire.

What was he doing on Coruscant in the Jedi Temple? He had a reputation as a brutal killer, and occasional cannibal. If an initiate knew that kind of information about the Sith, the adult version must be really bad.

The Dark Lord of the Sith looked over to the younglings and said to the other three Sith with him, “Look how their young tremble before the Frost Giant.”

Frost Giant was one of human Sith Lord’s nicknames. He received it after he led his fleet to victory over the Republic at the ice-planet Ilum.

“Yes, yes. You are very scary. All children tremble in your wake. Are we going to do this?”

Before Darth Laufey could respond America said, “And for a so-called giant, you’re awfully short.”

There was a moment of silence before Master Tony started laughing. He said, “She has a point.”

Darth Laufey snarled and said, “Kill them all, but save the girl for last. She will suffer. Stark first.”

To her credit, America didn’t flinch, or do much of anything but sneer back at the Sith. Billy had to admire her spunk. It was all he could do not to hide behind Teddy’s slightly larger frame.

The four Sith moved at Master Tony at once. He was quite skilled with his blade and said, “Uh, close your eyes, younglings?” then cut down two of the attackers with ease. Billy looked around, and none of them had closed their eyes. Instead they were all staring at the fight in wide eyed fascination.

Billy decided to try another calming exercise. He closed his eyes and reached out to touch the Force. He could feel his age-mates' fears and concern. He could feel the darkness that was pouring off the Sith trying to snuff out the light, as well as the bright beacon that Master Stark was.

He felt calmer when he touched the Force. He was still holding Tommy’s and Teddy’s hands, and he reached out with his feelings to try to share some of the peacefulness that he was receiving from the Force. When he touched them with it, he sensed them calm. He reached out to the others and Tommy and Teddy both lent some of their strength to him.

After a moment, the whole group was calm and focused, deep in the Force. They reached out, with Billy guiding them by instinct to fill the room with their presence. He felt Master Stark’s light brighten, and the Sith’s darkness dim. A moment later, part of the darkness disappeared, and Billy assumed that Master Stark had killed another Sith.

Billy heard a growl, and suddenly the six initiates were thrown backwards across the room, their concentration breaking. He hit the wall hard enough so that wind was knocked from his chest. The push couldn’t have been that powerful, because none of the initiates seemed hurt.

“Teaching battle meditation awfully young, aren’t you, Jedi?”

“We do what we can. Lots of Jedi should be here soon. You might want to, I don’t know, surrender?”

Billy hoped the Sith would as he helped Teddy off the ground.

The Sith laughed. It was a gravelly sound, and didn’t sound like any laugh Billy ever heard before. “Surrender? Never. It’s a shame I couldn’t get the information I wanted. But it wasn’t a wasted trip if I can kill a few of your children.”

Darth Laufey continued to parry Master Tony’s blows when suddenly, the archive stacks around Billy began to tremble. Kate caught on before he did, and she said, “We need to hold them back. Use the Force to keep them from crushing us!”

Billy closed his eyes and concentrated on force-pushing the stacks away. He could feel pressure on them, as if they were getting ready to break off the walls and smash into the assembled group. The harder he pushed them away, the harder they seemed to push back.

“What will it be, Jedi? Save the children or chase after me?” Darth Laufey said.

Almost immediately, the weight pushing on the heavy stacks seemed lessened. He let out a breath and looked to see Master Tony with his arms extended, obviously holding back the shelves.

“Is everyone alright? You all look alright. We should go to the cafeteria and get something to eat. Eating’s always good after this kind of thing.”

Billy was unsure what to say to that, but was saved when a group of Jedi ran into the room. “Stars, Tony. Are you alright?” Master Rogers asked. He was the Grand Master of the order, and most initiates only ever saw him from afar.

“We’re fine. Security’s response time could have been a bit better. But the kids held their own.”

Master Rogers looked over at them. “So I see.” He closed his eyes and took a deep calming breath and looked back to Tony. “Were you using battle meditation?”

“The younglings started it, somehow. I took advantage. Was pretty helpful actually.”

Master Rogers again looked to the younglings. “Did Master Parker teach you about battle meditation?”

No one said anything for a moment, and the clan all looked at him. Billy said, “No, Master Rogers. He mentioned it, but I was just reaching out to the Force for calm, and it kind of spread somehow.”

“Natural use of battle mediation, especially in one so young is very rare. You have a talent to be fostered, Initiate Kaplan. We’ll be watching you closely, I think.”

Billy thought he was going to faint. Not only did Master Rogers know his name, he also said he was special. Or maybe the adrenaline was just wearing off.

The Masters had turned back to their conversation, and Teddy clasped him on the shoulder and smiled at him. He smiled back.

“Showoff,” Tommy mumbled good-naturedly at him.

They were talking quietly when Master Parker rushed into the room. “Thank the Force you’re alright. I take one day off for meditation and the Sith attack. I just can’t leave you younglings along. Are you all okay?” He didn’t wait for a response. “Let’s get you to the healers just to be safe.” He turned to the Jedi Masters standing around the room, bowed and said, “If you’ll excuse us, Masters. I’ll take these fine young Jedi down to the Halls of Healing to make sure they are fit.”

“Of course, Master Parker. We should have sent them there right away. It’s a bit hectic, as you can imagine,” Master Rogers said.

The group bowed and walked out the door. “It’s all over the temple, you know,” Master Parker said as they walked through the hallway. “That a group of younglings aided Master Stark in single handedly saving the Temple from Sith invasion. One version even had you dueling with the Sith.”

“But we didn’t really do anything,” Billy insisted.

“You’ll find the smaller the community, the faster gossip spreads.” Master Parker paused. “What I want to know is who the _kriff_ taught you battle meditation?”


	4. Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> From Initiates to Padawans... Find out which Master each initiate gets... And you'll see why some members of YA aren't in the Jedi Temple...

_“As an Initiate, you have learned much in the ways of the Jedi, but worlds of experience remain a mystery to you. As you progress from Initiate to Padawan, communal instruction from the Temple’s teacher’s is replaced by one-on-one guidance from a Master. Not every Initiate will become a Padawan, but those who do will follow the call of the Force into a new level of service.”_ \-- Grand Master Fae Coven

* * *

Kate was the first of them to be raised to Padawan.

No one was surprised by this.

When initiates are 10, they have training on alternative weapons. Alternative weapons to the Jedi basically mean any weapon not a lightsaber. Jedi needed to learn these skills in case they were ever separated from their blades. Blasters, for example, were much more common in the wider galaxy.

This class was taught by Knight Barton. He was an expert marksman and a blademaster. There were six blasters laid out on the table in front of them. He had never taken an apprentice, so he was still a Knight.

The room was basically just an open space, with a table in the middle and some lines drawn down the length of the room to some targets.

The class met in a firing range in one of the basements of the Jedi Temple. Needless to say the room was not used all that often. Knight Barton was standing in the firing line, addressing the younglings.

“Blasters might be uncivilized by Jedi standards, but if you were being charged by an angry mob, would you rather wait for them to get close so you could use your lightsaber, or take out a few before they got to you?”

“Why would an angry mob be chasing us, Knight Barton?” Kate asked.

“Why wouldn’t one be? You’d be surprised how often it can happen.” Kate just stared at him with a flat look. He cleared his throat and said, “Anyways, a blaster might seem inelegant but it serves a purposes. Everyone, pick up the blaster in front of you. Reach out with the Force like you would with a lightsaber, and feel the blaster.”

Kate did so and was holding it carefully. It felt different in Kate’s hand then a training saber. Both less powerful and more powerful at the same time.

“They’re also somewhat difficult to shoot. Inaccurate by their nature. I wouldn't be surprised if you were unable to hit a target at all,” Knight Barton said. Kate reached out her arm and held the blaster as if she was going to shoot it. “It is more important that you are comfort--yrk!”

Kate had fired shot off six quick bolts. Knight Barton dove to the floor of the firing range. She hit the target with half of her shots, but three went wide. “This isn’t so hard, Knight Barton. And it looks like I hit a few.”

“Kriffing kriff. You could have killed me!”

“The shots were nowhere near you.”

He grunted and looked back at the targets. “But really nice shots. Have you ever fired a blaster before?”

“No.”

“Looks like you could have a talent, assuming you don’t kill your teachers first.”

After that, Knight Barton took a shining to Kate, and they spent a good deal of downtime together in the firing range, improving her accuracy. With the Force augmenting her natural talent, Knight Barton was sure she would be a fine marksman.

And so it was no surprise that that Clint Barton took Kate as his Padawan. Bonds formed under the strangest of circumstances, sometimes even by shooting at each other.

* * *

Billy and Tommy were very close. No one really understood how they were related, but they were twin brothers in everything but parentage.

Though they were twins, they were very different. Billy was the more serious of the two. He was studious but also worried about things more than necessary. Basically, the only time he got in trouble involved his brother.

Tommy was a prankster. He loved to cause minor trouble and never worried about the consequences. None of his tricks were ever harmful, so usually he was chided lightly. He’d only ever crossed the line once, and wasn’t about to repeat that.

The day before, Billy had been trying to get Tommy back for a recent prank involving his swimming trunks and the Room of A Thousand Fountains. But it didn’t quite go as planned.

Billy was not one for revenge, usually, but Tommy had gotten away with too much lately, and so it was his brotherly responsibility to put him back in his place.

First, he snuck into a maintenance closet and ‘borrowed’ a half-used bucket of paint. Tommy was just finishing up some lightsaber practice, so he was going to be going to the locker rooms to clean up. Billy would ambush him as he walked out.

He waited around the corner dampening his Force signature, so Tommy didn’t sense him, peaking every time he heard someone coming. Finally he saw a flash of white hair and smirked. Tommy would be sorry….

He threw the paint just in time for someone considerably taller than Tommy to walk around the corner and be covered in the red paint.

Billy was unsure if he should run or apologize. He was mortified. The unidentified adult wiped the paint from his eyes with the back of his hand and looked at Billy. “Did my sister put you up to this?” he asked.

Billy had no idea what he was talking about. “No, Master. I thought you were someone else.”

“Someone you wished to cover in paint?”

“My brother. He deserved it. Really.”

There was a flash of recognition in the adult's eyes. “I see. I imagine he did, Initiate Kaplan. I imagine he did. If you’ll excuse me, I need to clean up before my sister sees. She wouldn’t let me live this down.”

So the next day when Billy and Tommy were asked to meet with Pietro and Wanda Maximoff (Billy had found out later from Tommy that Pietro Maximoff was the person he had covered in the paint), they were expecting the worst. Tommy thought the whole situation was hilarious, but wasn’t sure why he was going to be in trouble if it was all Billy’s fault.

Both of them knew they were not the only set of twins in the order. They knew the other set by reputation, but had never met them. So the two didn’t know what to expect, especially when the other set might be rather angry.

“Hello there,” Master Maximoff said.

“Hello,” Tommy said.

While Billy said, “Hello, Knight Maximoff.... Knights Maximoff?”

Wanda and Pietro chuckled. Pietro said, “That was always especially confusing when we were children.”

“Yes, our instructors were always screaming after Initiate Maximoff, and they didn’t mean me.”

“They weren’t always after me, dear sister. I recall a certain situation involving some---”

“The initiates don’t need to hear that story, brother. But needless to say, they were usually after my brother.”

“Sounds like my brother,” Billy mumbled.

Tommy nudged his brother with his elbow. To his credit, Tommy was very well behaved at the moment.

The Jedi Knights shared a smile.

“I wouldn’t be so sure, Initiate Kaplan. Not after your antics yesterday.” She smiled as she said it. “We have something we’d like to speak to you about. We are wondering if you would be interested in being our Padawans. Well, Billy, you would be mine and Tommy, you would be Pietro’s.”

Billy was shocked. He’d come into this meeting expecting to be reprimanded or yelled at, not to be asked to be a Padawan. He looked at Tommy, who looked equally shocked. They made eye contact and didn’t say anything to their potential masters.

“You’re both quiet,” Pietro said.

“Cautious, really.”

Wanda glanced at Pietro and said, “Most initiates jump at the chance to be taken as Padawans. Why are you cautious?”

“Billy and I are very close. Some Masters might say we are too close or too attached, but we don’t want to be kept apart,” Tommy said, and Billy nodded.

“Wanda and I are very close as well. We would never dream of breaking your bond. You won’t be together as much, as we may have different missions to different places, but we will never intentionally keep you apart.”

“Okay, we accept then,” Tommy said. Billy nodded and smiled.

“Wonderful!” Wanda said.

“So what happens now?”

“A lot of things. My brother and I will approach the council, and barring any objections they will approve the apprenticeships. Then we will requisition larger quarters and finally you will be able to move in. I think we’ll also all have to agree to keep Billy away from any paint for the foreseeable future.”

“That won’t be a problem... Master.” Billy said. Wanda smiled at him.

“The most important thing is focusing on the relationship between master and student, and to build a bond. Everything else is secondary at this point.”

They talked for a long while that day, and Billy was excited to start the next phase of his training.

* * *

Eli Bradley never felt he measured up to the rest of his clan. The other five would deny it if he ever said anything--the Bergruutfa clan was all about loyalty.

But Eli knew, with surety, that he was the weakest of his peers, that it would be a miracle for him to be chosen as a Padawan by anyone. He’d probably be kept around to be a janitor or gardener in the temple, because they didn’t just send 13 year olds out on the street if no one picked them to be Padawans, did they?

So when he returned to the room he shared with Teddy (he was the only other male member of the clan not chosen as a Padawan yet), he was surprised to find Master Barnes sitting on his bed patiently.

Eli bowed and said, “May I help you, Master?” all the while thinking, _this is it. The Jedi are kicking me out._ Why else would a Jedi Master of his stature be in his room? He was one of Master Rogers’ first apprentices, for Force’s sake.

“I wished to speak to you about something, if that’s all right.”

“Of course, Master Barnes.”

“Has anyone approached you about your training?”

Eli looked down at the floor and took a deep breath. “No, Master Barnes.”

“Interesting,” the Master said, looking down at an electronic datapad in his hand. “I’m surprised by that. Judging by your test scores and seeing you fight a few times in the apprentice tournaments, I would think you would have masters flocking to you.”

That didn’t make him feel better, and Eli didn’t respond. Master Barnes continued, “I guess what I’m trying to say is that you are prime Padawan material. Would you be interested?”

“Interested in being a Padawan? Of course, Master Barnes.”

“I’m being a bit vague. Would you be interested in being my Padawan, Eli?” Eli’s eyes widened but before he could shout that of course he would be interested, the Master said, “Don’t agree to quickly. You should know a few things about me before you do. I’ve skirted with the dark side. I was undercover with the Sith for a very long time, and almost succumbed.” 

“But you didn’t.”

“No, but it was a close thing. They called me the Winter Soldier, because of how cold I was when I fought my old master, Steve Rogers. There is still a stigma around me, due to some of my actions while I was undercover.”

“That’s stupid. You were undercover, Master. Why would they hold it against you?”

“I did many things I’m ashamed of. Keeping one's cover with the Sith is not an easy task. Regardless, I wanted you know this before you accepted. Some of the onus may reflect on you. So I ask you to think hard on it.”

Eli closed his eyes. He reached out with the force for guidance. He felt Master Barnes, and knew right then what he had to do.

“Master Barnes, I would be honored to be your Padawan learner.”

The Master smiled. “Then call me Bucky, everybody does.”

“Of course, Master Bucky.”

Bucky let out a little laugh. “Close enough.”

* * *

Part of America was impatient. Why hadn’t she been chosen to be a Padawan yet? She’d done everything right and was rather good with her lightsaber, if she did say so herself. She had been beating her clan members in their mock duels for years. The other part of her, the larger part, knew she would be chosen. And probably soon, if that nagging feeling she was getting from the Force was any indication.

At the moment, she was practicing with her training lightsaber. It wasn’t really ‘hers’, as initiates didn’t make their own blades. That was something Padawans did under the guidance of their masters. Lightsaber construction was dangerous and had injured many Jedi over the years. Master Parker told them once about an initiate who thought she knew what she was doing and made a lightsaber, but when she powered it on, it blew up, taking off her arm.

So yeah, you didn’t mess around with lightsabers until you were apprenticed.

At that moment, she was practicing her Form II. Makashi was generally used in lightsaber-to-lightsaber combat. It was one of the most popular and useful forms during wartime.

She was not really supposed to be in the training room she currently occupied, but all of the initiate rooms were full of classes or other Jedi. So she needed a place to practice. She preferred the training rooms set aside for Knights and Masters anyways. They were quieter and provided more privacy. And, usually there were a lot of rooms available, as many Jedi were off fighting the Sith.

She had her eyes closed, and was immersed deeply into the Force, practicing a fluid swing that involved a 360 degree spin. It was tricky, the move was to increase momentum for the next attack, but she kept tripping herself up during the turn.

She was beginning to get frustrated. Because she was more advanced than her agemates, she didn’t have a real teacher for this, so she was doing it mostly from books. This could be detrimental, as she could pick up bad habits. But that didn’t stop her.

She paused and took a deep breath. She let the force calm her.

Her eyes still closed she attempted the move once again, but stumbled.

She let out a frustrated sigh. “You need to bend your left knee a little more,” a voice said from across the room.

America’s eyes snapped open and she saw a woman in dark robes leaning against the wall by the door.

She bowed and said, “Thank you for your advice, Master....” she trailed off, not knowing the other woman’s name.

“Romanov. Jedi Knight Natasha Romanov. And you have some potential. I’ve been watching you for a few minutes. Who’s been teaching you Form II?”

“No one, Knight Romanov. I’ve been teaching myself.”

“You’re still an initiate and you know that much Form II?” At America’s nod, Natasha said, “I’m surprised no one snatched you up yet. Is there something wrong with you?”

For a second, America was indignant. Then she saw the small smile on the Jedi Knight’s face and smiled back. “You’re a fiery one. I like that. I wasn’t planning to practice in this hall today. The Force led me here. I’ve been thinking about training a Padawan lately. Are you interested?”

America was. Very much so. But she played it cool. “I could be. Do you know a lot about lightsaber dueling? That’s where my strength is. Not diplomacy or books.”

“I know a thing or two about combat.”

* * *

The last of this generation of Clan Bergruutfa to find a Master was Teddy.

Master Parker assured him that one was coming, but Teddy couldn’t help but despair. He was alone now in the formerly communal dormitory. He missed Billy and Tommy’s bickering and even America’s temper. Billy still came to see him as often as possible, but it wasn’t the same.

Everything was changing, and Teddy couldn’t help but feel left behind.

At one point, a few months before, he thought maybe he knew who his Master would be. He met Master Danvers at basic flight training. Before an initiate was allowed to go off on missions, they needed a basic understanding of piloting in case the need arose for them to fly.

And Master Danvers was a pilot. She was one of the select few called a Jedi Ace. Aces loved to fly and had to learn to rely on the Force completely while doing so. She was teaching the class to the initiates, so they could see a different aspect of the order.

“Who can tell me the name of the drive used for most planetary landings and atmospheric flight?”

Teddy raised his hand and Master Danvers nodded to him. “A repulsorlift drive.”

“Correct. Do you know how it works?”

Teddy hesitated. He thought he knew, but he wasn’t sure. The Master smiled encouragingly at him, as if she could read his mind. So he swallowed and said, “I think they create an anti-gravity field which repels against the planets gravity?”

Master Danvers’ smile widened. “That’s right. Well done, Teddy. Are you interested in piloting?”

Teddy smiled back and said, “Yes, Master Danvers. I’ve always thought flying would be amazing.”

“It is.” She looked away from him and said to the class, “I think you’re all going to enjoy the next activity.”

It turned out they were going to be allowed in flight simulators, which used a mixture of holograms and computers to simulate flight conditions. They were black and shaped like pods, and the pilot would go inside where would be a cockpit there for them to control.

Teddy was excited to try it out. There were six pods, and so each member of the Bergruutfa could try it out. Master Danvers said, “Everyone into a simulator. You’ll be able to see each other’s fighter when they are all booted up.”

Teddy hurried into a pod and put on the headset, waiting for the simulation to start. When it did, he looked around out the viewport and saw nothing but space and distant stars. Part of him was glad there were no planets or asteroids to crash into. That would be embarrassing.

“All right, everyone,” Teddy heard Master Danvers say. “Remember what you learned about controls and flying. Feel, don’t think.”

Teddy took a deep breath and accelerated. The simulator began to rumble and sound like a real ship as the engine powered up. He moved quickly away from the blips on his screens that represented the other initiates and began to familiarize himself with how the ship felt as it moved.

“This is wizard,” Tommy said over the comm.

After about five minutes, Teddy was feeling comfortable enough to fly the real thing. He doubted Master Danvers would allow it, or that he was really ready, but it felt right.

“Everybody come to a full stop. I’m going to add a few obstacles for you.” Teddy slowed to a stop and suddenly a not-very-dense asteroid field appeared all around him.

“You know,” Master Danvers said. “We could make this more interesting if you wanted. How about we try out the weapon systems and see who has what it takes to be an Ace? Shall we say the winner gets an extra lesson with me?”

Teddy was very interested in that, as was the rest of the clan. He was going to do his best to win. He turned on his targeting computer to get a lock on where everyone was. He saw Tommy and Billy close together. He knew how that would end up--Tommy would attack Billy straight away, and then move on.

Teddy decided he would attack Tommy right after he took out Billy. He was sure he could take Billy out if he needed to, but he would rather avoid it. Tommy, on the other hand, deserved to be blown out of the sky.

Master Danvers announced it was time to begin the mock battle, and he set off towards Billy and Tommy at half speed. He was close enough to see Tommy out flying Billy. The white haired boy was going at full speed, making turns that Master Danvers would probably scold him for at the end of the simulation. Turns that would probably tear a real starfighter apart. After a few moments, Billy was ‘destroyed.’

“Stang it, Tommy!” Billy said over the comm.

“All’s fair in love and war, Billy.”

“Don’t worry, Billy, I’ll avenge you,” Teddy said as he closed in quick, and fired his weapons before Tommy could even register he was there.

“Teddy!” Tommy said crossly over the comm. He could hear Billy laughing in the background and smiled. Two down.

He readjusted his tracking computer and saw that Eli was already down. Kate and America both seemed evenly matched. They were taking potshots at each other while attempting to avoid the other’s turbolasers.

Teddy moved towards them, his engines powered up. Before he got anywhere near, one of them blew up. Kate destroyed America. He reached out with the force for calm and clarity and breathed deeply. After a beat, Kate said, “Looks like it’s just you and me, Teddy.”

He didn’t respond, he reached out with the force again and increased his speed. Kate was approaching him straight on, but she was out of weapons range. Judging by her speed, she would be in weapons range in five. Four. Three. Two. One. He pulled up hard. She started firing, but missed by a few dozen meters. He was already turning by the time that Kate had stopped firing.

After another moment, he was behind her. She tried to shake him but couldn’t. He lined up his shot, took it and she was destroyed.

He’d won. He really enjoyed flying. He could definitely get used to it.

The pod opened and he climbed out. Master Danvers was there and smiling at him.

“Well done, Teddy. We’ll make a pilot of you yet.” Teddy beamed at her. “We’ll have to set aside some time for you lesson soon.”

“Master, about that. Would it be okay if we just had another lesson for the whole clan? I think everyone could benefit from some more lessons.”

There was a long moment where Master Danvers just looked at him. It felt like a heavy look. She nodded, “If that’s your decision, of course. I’ll talk to Master Parker to set up a time.”

Something in the Force changed for him at that moment. He didn’t understand what it meant, but after meditating on it he thought it might mean she wanted him as his Padawan.

The second lesson was a week later and it went equally well for Teddy.

Now, some months later, Teddy hadn’t heard from Master Danvers. She had disappeared shortly after the second lesson. He assumed she was on a mission somewhere.

“Teddy, can we talk? I’m sorry I’ve been away so long, but there’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you.” Teddy turned around and it was Master Danvers. “How would you feel about being my Padawan?”

* * *

Far away from the pristine calm of the Jedi Temple, on the third planet in the Dromund System in the largest building in Kaas City, knelt a young boy. He was no older than nine, and his father stood over him.

“Do you seek to dishonor me, boy? Do you wish to see me ruined and our mighty house pulled down?” His words were almost a growl.

“No, father, of course not. I was just messing about an--”

“Fool. What kind of Sith plays,” he paused as if the next word disgusted him, “pranks on their betters?”

“It was just a joke, father please. I won’t do it again.”

“No. You won’t. You will be punished for this. My son must be strong.” He reached out his hands and pointed them at his son. The boy flinched at what was coming. Blue lightning poured from the older man’s fingers sinking into the child’s flesh. The boy screamed and fell to the floor, prostate. After a time deemed sufficient, the Dark Lord of the Sith stopped. “Perhaps you will learn your lesson this time. Get him out of my sight,” he said to two apprentices, in his presence for the sole reason to carry off the boy. 

“Yes, milord,” they said in unison.

They picked up the boy off the floor and carried him out of the room. They walked down a hallway towards an open door. They entered the small room and dropped the boy onto the bed unsympathetically.

“If you were a better Sith, this wouldn’t happen,” the boy who carried him said.

“Yes, it would.”

“You’re a disgrace to your name and your honored father.”

“Leave me alone,” the boy said.

“Come on, Nate. You heard him. Let’s leave this waste of space.”

“Yeah Cassie, if he doesn’t stop acting like a stupid Jedi all the time, then he’s going to end up dead.”

As the two left the room, lying there Loki couldn’t help but think what it would be like to be a Jedi.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's the end of Avenging Initiates. Its sequel, Avenging Padawans, should be up within a week or two. I hope you enjoyed reading this story as much as I enjoyed writing it. See you in the sequel! :)


End file.
